Frankenstein: The True Story - Inspirations For The Film

Inspirations For The Film

Despite the film's title (the "True Story") and the promotional campaign at the time which touted it as a faithful adaptation of Shelley's novel, it is really only a loose adaptation with elements from various Frankenstein films, most notably the Hammer series, grafted on.

Some, but not all, of the ideas taken from the Hammer films are:

• The younger doctor assisting the more seasoned scientist to learn the secrets of life and death (first Frankenstein/Clerval, then Frankenstein/Polidori) is a feature of most of the Hammer series.

• The brain of the creator (Clerval) being transplanted into the body of the creature is reminiscent of the Baron's brain being put into his perfect creation at the conclusion of The Revenge of Frankenstein.

• The Creature is beautiful at first, but then begins to degenerate, as in The Revenge of Frankenstein.

• The Creature throws itself off a cliff in front of Frankenstein, as in Frankenstein Created Woman.

• Polidori's use of hypnosis to control the Creature and also to reach its inner mind is similar to that in The Evil of Frankenstein.

• Polidori's hands are burnt and useless, causing him to need an assistant, as is the case for Baron Frankenstein in Frankenstein Created Woman and Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell.

• Polidori keeps the Creature under lock and key, as the Baron did in The Curse of Frankenstein and The Horror of Frankenstein.

• Polidori blackmails and controls Victor and Elizabeth in a similar fashion to the Baron's control of Karl and Anna in Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed.

• An attempt is made to destroy the Creature in an acid bath, a fate the creation had met in both The Curse of Frankenstein and The Horror of Frankenstein.

• The Creature disrupts the polite society function, as the Baron's creation did in The Revenge of Frankenstein.

• Frankenstein's attempt to tell the truth to the police about the Creature echoes the Baron's claims in The Curse of Frankenstein.

• Elizabeth's locking Polidori in his cabin with the Creature evokes the Baron locking his maid in with his creation in both The Curse of Frankenstein and The Horror of Frankenstein.

• The Creature carries Polidori to his death, as the resurrected Richter had done to the Baron in Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed.